Monday, November 28, 2011

Badlands :: Rolling in the Dust

Wednesday, August 24th - - The gravel road continued on for a few miles but I turned around and headed back to the main road. As I passed Sage Creek Basin Overlook the bison that had surrounded me a few minutes earlier had made their way off into the prairie. To my right another small band of buffalo were coming across the road. Traffic was stopped until long after they had passed.



Prairie Dogs provide a service to the buffalo by giving them a place to roll in the dirt! At the entrance to the burrows there is always a large pile of dirt that has been thrown up by the Prairie Dogs digging the tunnels. Hopefully, when a bison decides to roll in that dirt, the little fellows have made it safely underground!





Going down....



Really getting into it!



Ah, that felt good.



Giving it another go.



Shaking off the dust.



Feeling better, I'm sure!

By the Sea in Dún Laoghaire

East Pier, Dun Laoghaire

Pronounced "Dunleary," with an emphasis on the second syllable, Dún Laoghaire is a provincial seaside town in Ireland just south of Dublin. I am visiting family here before going north to County Antrim, and will return here again afterward before flying back to Boston.




East Pier, Dun Laoghaire

I love small seaside towns and was excited for this to be my first introduction to Ireland. Arriving to a new place, we never really know what to expect. This time the unexpected part was the familiarity. If you can picture a cross between Brighton, England and Portland, Maine with a touch of South Boston's waterfront area, you will be well on your way to forming a picture ofDún Laoghaire. Growing increasingly suburban as it stretches inland, there is a dense commercial center closer to the sea. Streets are generally narrow, with a system of even narrower hidden alleyways that are used as pedestrian shortcuts. The exception is the wide and highly traveled road that stretches along the waterfront. A sidewalk promenade follows the road with occasional interruptions and everything here is built on a large scale: a towering city hall, a string of grand hotels, an enormous modern theater.




Pavilion, Dun Laoghaire

Dún Laoghaireis not an old town, and a lot of the design elements can be traced to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Iron latticework, gilded pavilions, hotel walls painted in pastel hues.



East Pier, Dun Laoghaire
Walking along the waterfront, it is easy to imagine the heyday of this place. I can practically see the ladies in corseted frilly dresses strolling up and down the promenade with their parasols and lap dogs.





East Pier, Dun Laoghaire
Of course now it all looks a little shabby. Peeling paint, rust. And on a drizzly weekday, the only people I saw along the promenade were hooded joggers and a couple of young mothers pushing strollers while talking on their mobile phones.





Pegasus, Dun Loghaire
Not that this detracts from imagining what the place used to be and what motivated people to create things like this elaborate minuscule pavilion.




East Pier, Dun Laoghaire
The distinguishing feature of the Dún Laoghaire waterfront is its two long granite piers. These start on the opposite sides of town, then curve inward until their tips almost meet. There is a red lighthouse on the East Pier and a green one on the West. It's as if they are looking at each other longingly across the water.




East Pier, Dun Laoghaire

This charming view is, however, somewhat subverted by the intrusion of the Dublin Power station towers smack in between the lighthouses. You can see them in the distance here if you look closely.




East Pier, Dun Loghaire

There is much more toDún Laoghairethan this vast and quaint waterfront area, and in fact I haven't really described the town itself at all. But somehow the presence of the promenade, with its granite piers and rusting latticework and sea air permeates the rest of the town.The people are friendly, but reserved. An elderly man in a pub said to me that those who enjoy living here value anonymity. Otherwise they are miserable and can't wait to leave. So close to Dublin, this town does not feel as if it's anywhere near a capital city. It is its own universe, hidden in plain sight; a closed system.




Brompton, East Pier, Dun Laoghaire
I have been cycling despite the non-stop rain, mostly for transportation and exploring. The cycling is so-so. No bike lanes at all, but the roads are mostly calm except in the town center. I am not entirely comfortable with the left-handed flow of traffic yet, so I am afraid to ride on busy streets and sometimes take the sidewalk (as do half the cyclists here it seems). Cycling along the endless East Pier in a light drizzle and enjoying 3/4 water views has been my most memorable ride so far. I don't mind the rain and the cold here, but it does make taking good pictures difficult.



Overall I am trying to decide whether I like it in Dún Laoghaire. Is this the sort of place I'd want to live? In theory, it really should be. It's got the sea, mazes of narrow streets, stone houses, lots of wild vegetation, privacy, and genuinely pleasant people. But for some reason, it doesn't quite pull at my heart strings. I am comfortable here and do not even experience my trip as being abroad so far. But I feel a little detached from this town. Tomorrow I take the train to the North of Ireland.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Dried Leaf in Snow


I found this little redbud tree leaf trying to hang on to it's tree in the snow and wind yesterday.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Assateague Island :: Sunrise

One of the things I had promised myself that I would do while at Assateague was to get up early enough to watch the sunrise over the marsh. The first three mornings had already gone by and I hadn't gotten up in time but when Friday morning (October 23rd) rolled around, I awoke before the sun was over the horizon. The clouds in the sky were bathed in streaks of orange and pink. It turned out to be a spectacular sunrise. One of the best. Ever. Mother Nature outdid herself that morning.

7:00 a. m. Walking over to the marsh boardwalk.
It was cold. And Dark.
But I just knew it would be worth the effort.
That was an understatement.

7:07 a. m. From the middle of the boardwalk.

7:13 a. m. From the far side of the boardwalk.
Looking just a little to the south of the sun.
The sky and marsh were completely bathed in wonderful light.

7:18 a. m. From a distance, using the telephoto feature.
Looking directly into the rising sun. Magnificent.

7:22 a. m. From the same spot as the previous photo.
Longer telephoto setting.
The sun rising over the horizon.

7:24 a. m. The morning has risen.
Breathtakingly beautiful. Quiet. Tranquil.
All mine, and mine alone. Until now, when I share it with you.

7:32 a. m. My only companions were the birds.
A small flock of Snowy Egrets.

Boone Hall Plantation~Live Oaks

These deserve a post all of their own. The driveway is lined for 3/4 of a mile with these fabulous Live Oak trees. They were planted in 1743. One of the tour guides said one of the Live Oak trees here is believed to be 800 years old. They are truly incredible to take in!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

White River Opening

So the latest news from White River is that the road to the campground and the ranger station will be opening this Friday around 7:30, barring some unforeseen event. The road to White River Campground is currently clear but still gated at Hwy 410. Climbers can gain access behind the gate by bike or foot to get an early start on the weekend.






Fuhrer Finger Sunrise

For the remainder of the season the White River ranger station will be open from 7:30 - 4:30 Sunday through Thursday, 7:00 - 7:00 on Fridays and 7:00 to 4:30 on Saturdays.



So it seems the weather is taking a break from summer and freshening up the skiing conditions for a bit! Remember to always be careful in stormy weather and bring your map/compass/GPS with you for when the visibility gets low.



Check out a great report on the Fuhrer Finger sent to us by some Utah climbers. Also, many thanks to those who have sent feedback on the Google translate feature. It appears to be a pretty rough translation, which doesn't surprise us, but could maybe be of use in certain situations. We will keep evaluating it.



Hope everyone has some great adventures planned for the upcoming holiday weekend!

Aric and John in the Tournament

Aric played with John. We just met John last night. Aric left before John got to the courts last night. Which means today was the first they'd ever played together.

They did very well together.

I think they had incredible teamwork together. Especially since it was their first time playing together.

The ended up in the championship game and they won their bracket! Woohoo! WTG, Aric!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Regarding Mercedes

While going through my grandmother's papers (again) this weekend, I found this picture, probably taken on the same day as the one at the bottom of this post.

Mae was the adopted daughter of William James Dunfee and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Walker. Jane is my grandmother's sister, Hazlette is my grandmother, and Mercides is the object of my quest in unraveling a little mystery. It's a guess, but I'd say the picture was taken about 1918-1920.

And, another clue, which just goes to show that it pays to look at all of those little scraps of paper! The problem is though, that I don't know when the note was written, but from what I can tell, it was in the late 1960s or early 1970s that Grandma started working on her genealogy. I'm pretty sure that the ACPL (Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne) has some Detroit City Directories. One of these days I'll get to the library...

The note reads:
This is Mercedes
Name & address
Mrs. A. Vinet
13822 French Rd
Detroit 34 -

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Beach Houses

When I was a girl, the one and only vacation I remember our family going on was to Galveston Island. One of the things we kids loved there were the houses on stilts. I still love them. It is one of the things that makes island living seem so quaint to me.

Beach houses tend to have three things in common as far as I can tell. They are on "stilts". They have great porches. They are built to have views of the ocean. I think they are beautiful.

I have had some kind of creedy crud, or my allergies are really in high gear and it's been that way for over a week now. I feel pretty miserable. It was kind of nice today though because it gave me an excuse to sit and catch up on editing pictures and blogging some!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Trango Raptor Ice tool?
















One of the most fun things about writing the blog is getting to be involved in the twice yearly Outdoor Retailer shows. One of the most frustrating things about writing the blog is being able to attend the twice yearly Outdoor Retailer shows. Why? Because you may see some really neat stuff that could be weeks from production or literally years.



I have been trying to get a pair of the Raptors for the last 18 months or so. And had finally just given up.



From my first impress and being a HUGE Petzl Nomic and Ergo fan I was impressed playing with the Raptor at the OR winter show.



My thought back in Jan of ?

"Trango's new ice tool??.....which I seriously think will be pretty good in comparison to the "big boys"!



For the asking price of $350 for the pair I can tell you I would have bought a set a long time ago if I could have found them.




Here is what made me look at them as serious alternative during the OR show two winters ago. Back then the BD Fusions had just come out. I'd been on the ma couple of months by the time OR began.And there was some learning to do. I had no clue what the price would be on the Raptor. And I stillthoughtthey might well be a very good option to a Nomic or Fusion. But only swinging them for real would proveit.



Quick run down of the Raptor to aNomic/Fusion comparison...









Raptor has : Excellent swing weight and balance.

Better head (stainless steel) imo and much easier to clip to your harness on raps (having found a total of 6 Nomics now seems people leave a lot of Nomics at raps stations...gotta wonder why?)



I think the lack of hammer on Nomic or Raptor is a better basic design than the Fusion's rather unbalanced head for pure ice. Having climbed on both Nomic and Fusion a good bit that is my judgement/observation. Enough so that I have spend a number of seasons trying to prefecta bolt on Nomic hammer after Petzl has blown it twice. And learned early on to simply cut down the Fusion's hammer for better effect. If you really need to pound on stuff, a stainless head is a betterd place to startthan aluminum.



The Nomic's pommel, much as I love them, still suck imo. I have had both old and new. And now stick with my old, well worn, first gen Nomics. The Raptor's grips are fixed, nothing to loosen up. The Fusion is adjustable for hand size in length but not really in hand "size".Neither Raptor or Fusionrotate as easily in hand compared to the Nomic. The Raptor is more Fusioncopy than Nomic. Most importantly the Raptor will fit small hands the best I think. Big hands (two of us with XL gloves) get bit some on the Raptor because the bottom of the grip is pretty tight/small. I think the Fusion has a similar problem but is easier to fix.If you have XL hand it is one of my few criticisms of the Raptor overall. If you have smaller hands...Medium glove or smaller i would suspect you would LOVE the Raptor. As my bud, Batboy said, "nice girl's tool". Hey, it was me climbing with them at the moment he uttered his condescending slur. What do you expect of a ham handed Idaho boy?



author's edit

*The "small grip" comments caused some confusion after the fact. The Raptor's over all grip size will likely fit anyone in length. It is only the bottom of the grip where your little finger fits that is too small and too tight for me (I wear a XL glove). The BD Fusion has a similar problem. Both tools can be easily modified to better fit a big hand by removing a little material in the very bottom of the grip and opening up that tight corner where your little finger will set. Sorry for the confusion.*



The Raptor has a "no dicking around" spike and clip in point. Morelike the the Fusion's here and in a good way. Where the Nomic is still lacking purpose. I might want to grind it down some or cut it off but at least the tool starts with a "real" one. The spike alone will hold #2000+. More on that detail below but a very cool number for sure! I didn't bother to touch the Raptor or its picks with afile or grinder before I climbed on them. Which says a lot. I did not use the pick weights and do on my Nomics. The feel of the tools set up like that (one with one without) are very, very similar to swing.



In many ways (not every) the Raptor represents to me thebest of the Nomic and the Fusion, while being soldat half the retail price. But we all know by now that copies don't always turn out like you had hoped. The Fusion is a classic example of that fact. The Raptor? Well, sorta...... for me anyway.Huge potential here though. The Raptor's pick is a few degrees steeper than the Nomic. It makes the swing more like a Fusion or a Ergo than a Nomic. But both of those tools climb hard mixed better than the Nomic, simply because of that extra bit of pick angle. I found the Raptor easy enough to use on ice. The picks look good,climbed well...and more importantly to me, cleans well.









Think the original Cascade Petzl picks here. No clue on durability though. I'm not genteel climbing on my Petzl gear and the Raptor picks remain straight and intact. Says something. Both my partner and I switched from Nomics to Raptors and climbed WI3, 4 and 5 with little comment and lots of comparison. The Trango Raptoris that close...that good. Against its two most likely technical competitors from the "bog" two the Raptoris certainly in the horse race.









My pair showedwith T rated shaft and picks. Head is investment cast stainless (nice!) and small diameter shaft (smaller than the Nomic and Fusion but not too small imo for even my big hands) is drawn 7075 T6 alloy. Tools and spare picks ($37.00 retail on the picks) are in stock and shipping @ Trango.



BD's Green Fusion's spike will go to around 1500lbs with the maximum amount of spacers allowed(3) before the bolt breaks. Petzl Nomic is full T rated if you use the biggest hole in the lower section of the grip handle above the pommel.



I just got confirmation that the spike on the Raptor is rated 10kN, which is just over 2,200lbs. Interestingly, they have had themtest significantly higher, but that is the more conservativenumber they are repeating. Weight is right in between the Quark and a Nomic. Swing, swingweight and balance however makes it feel more like a Nomic than anything else I use. (Nomic/Fusion/Ergo/Raptor)

Heady company indeed for the price point.

Truth is...even if the Raptor was at the Nomic/Fusion price point I'd still own apair of Raptors if I could as spares and for steep mixed. I'm using Raptors in thenew C/T mast head photo.





540 g without pick weights / 605 g with weights

Quark with hammer 588g or 1# 2oz / 528g with no hammer or weight.

Petzl Nomic with mixed pick/weight 1# 6.8oz / 648g

Nomic with just a pick..no weights or hammer 1# 3.5oz / 558g

Trango Raptor 1# 3oz / 540g / 605g with pick weights

Black Diamond Fusion (green) 1# 9oz / 680g





"The Raptor's grip is one piece molded rubber for comfort,and reduced fatigue. The pick penetrates theand cleans easily and comes with removable weights adding to its versatility. The cold forged shaft is incredibly light yet stiff, limiting pick shift when on rock.


  • Molded one piece grip for comfort and durability

  • Pick weights add to versatility

  • Shaft and pick are CEN-T

  • Lightweight: 540 g without pick weights / 605 g with weights"


Petzl Nomic with mixed pick/weight 1# 6.8oz / 648g



2nd gen Black Diamond Fusion (green) 1#9oz / 680g












Drop Bar Hand Positions: an Introduction

Braking from the Drops
Riding a roadbike does not come naturally to everyone, and one particular source of frustration is the drop handlebars. I was frustrated by them too when I first started, and so I hope this illustrated introduction might be of some help. To preface, a couple of things to keep in mind: First, drop bars vary in shape. This post assumes that your bike is fitted with theflat ramp style of bars prevalent today - either the compact type found on most stock road/racing bikes, or the more classic style popular with the twine and shellack crowd (i.e. the Nitto Noodle, Grand Bois Maes, Velo Orange Course). I am also assuming that you are using contemporary"aero" style brake levers, with the brake cables hidden.Note that if you are dealing with a 1970s-80s roadbike (i.e. something like this), the shape of the original handlebars and brake levers will make some of the positions described here impossible. Not everyone agrees on which hand positions are best to use at which times, or even on what the positions are called. This write-up reflects my non-expert personal experiences, informed by local mentours.



Whether you are racing, touring or going on a leisurely ride, what makes drop handlebars special is the variety of hand positions they offer. I consider there to be 5 distinct positions available: The hoods, the hooks, the drops, the tops, and the ramps. Read on for a description of each.




Drop Bars: Hoods, Front View

1. The Hoods

The "hoods" position refers to keeping your hands on top of the rubbery brake hoods, wrapped around them firmly. I think it is fair to say that today this is widely considered to be the standard, neutral position for riding with drop bars.When done correctly, it is extremely ergonomic, distributes the cyclist's weight nicely, and affords optimal leverage for cycling at different speeds. It is also a position from which the brake levers are easily accessible. Some cyclists report that the hoods make them lean forward too much. If this is the case, consider changing your handlebar setup - perhaps raising the bars, getting a shorter stem, or getting compact handlebars (with less distance between stem and hoods). On a properly fitted bike the hoods should feel easy and natural to reach.




Drop Bars: Hoods, Side View
There is a number of ways to hold your hands on the hoods, and this is how I usually do it. The main thing is to actually grip them and not just rest you hands upon them.




Drop Bars: Hoods, Braking

There are also different ways to brake from the hoods, and this is how I prefer to do it. Squeezing the brake lever with only two fingers while leaving the rest wrapped around the bars/hoods themselves ensures that my hands won't fly off the handlebars if I go over a bump.




For those accustomed to upright handlebars, the hoods position on a drop bar bike can feel awkward and disconcerting at first and can require some practice to use comfortably. It took me a couple of weeks before I really "got" the hoods, but once I did it's been true love. It's the position I use the most no matter what kind of riding I do. And if you are planning to take part in formal paceline training rides, chances are they will expect you to use the hoods as the standard position - and may even insist that you do so.




Drop Bars: Hooks, Side View

2. The Hooks

While often the position shown here is referred to as the "drops," there are actually two distinct drops positions. To differentiate between them, this one is more specifically known as "the hooks." It involves holding on to the parts of the bars that curve outward, with the cyclist's hands directly behind the brake levers. It is a more aggressive and aerodynamic position that the hoods, which makes it especially useful when cycling downhill and attempting to fight wind/air resistance.




Drop Bars: Hooks, Braking

The brake levers should be easily reachable from the hooks position. Braking in this manner is more powerful than from the hoods, because it affords greater leverage. It is important to be aware of this, so as not to accidentally slam the brakes when riding at high speeds.




Drop Bars: Drops, Side View
3. The Drops


To differentiate from the hooks, this is what I will call the "true drops" position. To what extent the two positions are distinct really depends on the style of handlebars used. On some types of contemporary drop bars, the curvature here is so dramatic that the positions are very different - the true drops being parallel to the ground and the hooks perpendicular. On other drop bars the curve is less defined and it's hard to tell where the hooks end and the drops begin. Either way, the crucial distinction for me is that you can reach the brakes from the hooks, but not from this lower section of the drops.




Both the hooks and the lower drops positions are quite aggressive, and for beginners the crouching posture they put you in can feel scary. While at this stage I am more or less fine riding in these positions, even now I am still not as confident as I could be. Riding downhill in close proximity to others, I sometimes chicken out and stay on the hoods, simply bending my elbows a whole lot to get myself low enough over the bars. In a pinch, that tactic will do - but mastering the hooks and drops is ultimately worth it and I continue to work on it.




Drop Bars: Tops, Side View


4. The Tops

And now, the dreaded tops of the bars... My personal opinion is that the "tops" are bad news for beginners and are to be avoided until after you pick up some road cycling skills. Let me explain: Beginners who cannot use drop bars properly tend to hold their hands on the tops, because this reminds them of mountain bike handlebars and allows them to stay more upright than any of the other positions do. It feels safer. However, this is deeply problematic. First, you cannot reach the brakes from the tops. And if you are too scared to use the other positions, will you really be able to brake quickly and effectively when the situation calls for it? Probably not. Furthermore, drop bars are narrower than mountain bike handlebars, and holding the tops places the rider's hands too close to the stem - not the best position for controlling the bike. Nearly every time I see a beginner on a roadbike lose control of their bicycle, they are holding the tops.




Drop Bars: Tops, Front View

That said, the tops do have their function. Some find this position helpful for climbing, as it opens up the chest and facilitates deep breathing. Also, when doing a long ride it's great to simply have it as yet another position for your restless hands. Personally, I almost never use the tops even in these circumstances, because my hands are uncomfortable. But not everyone has this issue.




Drop Bars: Ramps, Side View

5. The Ramps

Finally, there is the rather difficult-to-photograph position called the "ramps," and I have also heard it referred to as the "shoulders." Located between the hoods and the tops, it involves holding the corners of the top portion of the handlebars. In this position the rider is more upright than on the hoods, while maintaining more control of the bike and a more ergonomic wrist position than they would on the tops. I hold my hands in this manner mostly on long rides, for short stretches at a time, when I want to do something different or be more upright for a bit.






All these new positions can certainly be overwhelming. As far as a starting point, I suggest learning to use the hoods well first, then transitioning to learning the hooks/drops. If the pictures here are not enough to help you understand the positions and the braking, ask an experienced cyclist to show you in person and imitate them. I did this some time ago, and it was more helpful than any online tutorial I could have read.And for those riding vintage bikes with handlebars like these and having trouble using them, consider updating the bar setup. You cannot use the hoods with that style of handlebars and levers, and I wish someone told me that when I first struggled with vintage roadbikes 3 years ago.




While drop handlebars are easy and intuitive for some, for others it takes practice to get comfortable with the different positions. My suggestion is to not be intimidated and just keep practicing. If you ask me, it's worth it.